This invention relates to the field of logistics. More particularly the invention relates to systems and methods of tracking location of a package which is en route from a shipping location to a destination location, and to systems and methods to ensure that an extremely time-critical delivery is proceeding according to schedule and to alert the shipper or recipient or a designated third party if there is a problem with shipment such as a flight delay or mishandled package or misdirected delivery.
Sometimes next day shipping service just isn't fast enough when a customer needs a replacement part for an assembly line that's down, or a part is needed for an aircraft that is idle because of part missing, or a human organ needs to be shipped for transplant across the continent, or tissue samples, bone marrow or eye for transplant needs next flight out speed. In such cases the shipper or recipient will engage a private logistics shipment service, commercial airline carrier, charter flight, or Next Flight Out (NFO) delivery service to transport the package since time is so critical. In other cases the parties may elect to use one or more common carriers to transport the package from pick up to delivery such as planes, trains, and/or trucks that operate according to a schedule.
Some existing services such as Amazon, Wal-Mart, Federal Express, DHL, scheduled air carriers, and the like offer same day delivery to certain locations. However, even though such services are generally reliable and offer tracking services, occasionally mistakes happen during shipments, for example a package may miss a flight or a truck may be delayed due to weather, accident, or traffic conditions and so even if the chances of such a mistake are very small, for extremely time-sensitive shipments such as the above-mentioned situations there is a need for extremely accurate tracking systems and methods which are superior to state of the art methods.